How do you wash a tattoo behind your ear?

Wash your hair first, then the tattoo last, so shampoo and conditioner runoff doesn't sit on the healing skin. Use fingertips only, fragrance-free soap, and rinse thoroughly before you get out.

Can you wear headphones with a healing tattoo behind your ear?

Over-ear headphones and anything that presses directly on the area are worth avoiding for the first couple of weeks. In-ear buds that don't touch the tattoo itself are generally fine.

Does hair cause problems for a behind-the-ear tattoo while healing?

Yes, more than people expect. Hair products, sweat, and hair itself brushing against the area all introduce friction and residue a fresh tattoo doesn't need. Tying hair back or keeping it clear of the area helps a lot in the first couple of weeks.

How long does a behind-the-ear tattoo take to heal?

Surface healing is usually on the faster end, one to two weeks, since it's typically a small piece. The main risk isn't a slow heal, it's ongoing friction from hair, glasses or headphones extending the irritation well past when it would otherwise be settled.

Aftercare guide

Behind-the-ear tattoo aftercare

Behind-the-ear tattoos are usually small, which makes people treat the aftercare as an afterthought. It's actually one of the trickier spots, hair, glasses, headphones and hands all make contact with it constantly.

Last updated July 2026

Published by Penguin Tattoo Co, an Australian tattoo aftercare studio.

The short version

Small doesn't mean low-maintenance. Wash hair first, tattoo last. Keep hair tied back and away from the area. Skip over-ear headphones and be mindful of glasses for a couple of weeks. Otherwise it's the standard routine, thin layer of product, no picking, and it usually heals quickly given the size.

Small placement, more contact than you'd think

A behind-the-ear tattoo is usually tiny compared to most placements, which leads to the same mistake we see with small tattoos generally: treating it as low-stakes and giving it a casual routine instead of a proper one. The size doesn't reduce what it needs, and this particular spot actually picks up more incidental contact per day than plenty of larger, more "serious" looking placements.

Hair brushes against it constantly, and carries product residue and sweat.
Glasses and sunglasses arms often rest close to or directly over the area.
Headphones and earbuds make direct contact, especially over-ear styles.
Phones pressed against your head during calls sit right against it.
It's hard to see, which means it's easy to miss during your wash and product routine, or to touch without realising.

Washing around hair

Shampoo and conditioner are fragranced and full of surfactants that don't belong on an open wound. Wash your hair first in the shower, then wash the tattoo last, so any runoff gets rinsed away rather than sitting against the healing skin. Ourshowering guide covers this in more detail, since it comes up with any tattoo near the hairline.

Tying hair back, or keeping it clipped away from the area, for the first week or two makes a noticeable difference to how much incidental contact the tattoo gets through an ordinary day.

Glasses, sunglasses and headphones

If you wear glasses daily, be conscious of how the arms sit against the area, particularly if the tattoo is right where the arm rests. It's not usually enough contact to cause real problems, but it's worth being aware of rather than ignoring.

Over-ear headphones are more of an issue, since they apply sustained pressure directly over the area for however long you're wearing them. Switch to in-ear buds that don't touch the tattoo itself for the first couple of weeks if you can.

Sleeping

If you sleep on the side the tattoo is on, expect some friction against the pillow overnight, same logic as any placement near a pressure point. Sleeping on the other side, or on your back, for the first week helps, though most people shift around regardless of intention, so don't overthink it.

It usually heals quickly, don't undo that

Because it's typically a small piece, surface healing on a behind-the-ear tattoo is often faster than larger placements, sometimes just one to two weeks. The main way people extend that timeline is ongoing friction from hair, headphones or glasses that keeps low-level irritating the area well past when it would otherwise be settled. Get the contact points sorted early and it's usually a fast, uneventful heal.

Tattoo Standard is published by Penguin Tattoo Co, an Australian tattoo aftercare brand. This guide is general information, not medical advice. Follow the specific instructions your artist gives you, and if something looks wrong, speak to them or a GP.